Oct. 6, 2018, 8:21 p.m.

Once the sport’s glamour division, the light heavyweight division has struggled in recent years. Dominick Reyes is one of the young hopes of the division, 9-0 with three first round finishes in the UFC. He gets a significant test tonight in Ovince St. Preux, a respected veteran who has fought many of the division’s best and has won 3 of his last 4 fights.

Round 1. Reyes comes out aggressively, landing some kicks and jabs. His best shots have probably been looping punches which he throws with power. St. Preux looks for a takedown but it is blocked. St. Preux attempts it again and Reyes opens up with a series of hard elbows to the head. St. Preux gets the takedown but Reyes rapidly returns to his feet. St. Preux keeps looking for the takedown and Reyes tries to make him pay with punches and elbows. Reyes opens up with punches by the cage and has St. Preux in big trouble. St. Preux has to retreat in order to regain his senses. Reyes eases up a little but then goes back to work with punches including a strong right hook. and left high kick. 10-8 Reyes.

Round 2. As Reyes throws a knee, St. Preux catches it and goes for a takedown. Reyes is still able to stop the takedown and they end up in a clinch against the cage. They break and Reyes goes back to his kicks. Reyes has slowed down but St. Preux isn’t capitalizing. St. Preux looks for a takedown but doesn’t come close. 10-9 Reyes.

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Oct. 6, 2018, 7:43 p.m.

Derrick Lewis is a big personality with knockout power. He has won 8 of 9 but his momentum was diminished in his most recent win, a dreadful fight against Francis Ngannou. Alexander Volkov has won four straight in the UFC including a knockout of former champion Fabricio Werdum. Both men are hoping for a title shot with a key win or two.

Round 1. Volkov hurts Lewis quickly with some kicks and punches to the body. Volkov swarms looking for a finish and Lewis fires back. That forces Volkov to back off but Volkov hurts Lewis again and has him in some trouble. Lewis goes for a strange looking takedown but can’t get it. Lewis tags Volkov with a hard right hand and Volkov responds by taking Lewis down. Volkov has side control and lands some elbows. Volkov takes the back but Lewis nicely rolls out and takes top position. Lewis lands some heavy punches from top position late in the round. 10-9 Volkov.

Round 2. Volkov opens up with strong punches early. Lewis swings wildly in response, forcing Volkov to exercise caution. Volkovv follows with a two punch combination that lands solidly. Volkov goes for a takedown but doesn’t get it. Volkov is getting the better of the action but clearly has a lot of respect for Lewis’ power. The action slows and the Irish fans begin to sing. Lewis launches a wild punch here and there but is mostly missing and he is tired. 10-9 Volkov.

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Oct. 6, 2018, 7:04 p.m.

Michelle Waterson, popularly known as the “Karate Hottie,” has been featured prominently since debuting in the UFC. She is 3-2 thus far while competing against high level opponents. The outspoken Felice Herrig has won 4 of her last 5 but her most recent fight was a split decision loss so she’s hungry for a win here.

Round 1. Herrig pursues Waterson early, closing range while Waterson attempts to counter. Waterson has the different stance and is throwing a lot of kicks while Herrig is more conventional. Herrig connects with a solid right hand in the middle of a combination and clinches. They end up mostly in stalemate late. Close, uneventful round. 10-9 Herrig.

Round 2. The fighters end up back in a clinch early in the second, fighting for position. Waterson uses a judo throw to take Herrig down and lands some elbows from half guard on the ground. Herrig secures full guard but she is mostly just holding on rather than threatening with submissions or moving to stand up. 10-9 Waterson.

Oct. 6, 2018, 6:32 p.m.

This is the most important bout of the prelims as Formiga and Pettis look to earn a flyweight title shot. Jussier Formiga is a submission expert and has competed against many of the division’s best competitors. He is 21-5 for his career. Sergio Pettis is 17-3 and is coming off the most important win of his career against Joseph Benavidez.

Round 1. The fighters trade jabs early. Neither is able to gain much of an advantage although Pettis is a little longer which works to his advantage. Formiga goes for a takedown and Pettis is down briefly but he gets back up in a hurry. Formiga secures a takedown with a minute and a half left. Formiga works with punches until the round comes to a close. 10-9 Formiga.

Round 2. The standup is much like in the first, tentative and mostly focused on the jab on both ends. Formiga looks for a takedown but Pettis defends well. Formiga then gets the takedown with less than two minutes remaining. Pettis gets up at the very end. 10-9 Formiga.

Oct. 6, 2018, 5:58 p.m.

Vicente Luque began his MMA career an unimposing 7-5-1 but since then he is 6-1 in the UFC with all those wins coming via finish in the first or second round. He’s clearly a much improved fighter. Jalin Turner won on Dana White’s Contender Series and now will get his opportunity in the UFC.

Round 1. Turner has some success with straight punches early. Luque knocks Turner back with a right hand. Both men are throwing with a lot of power. Turner throws a spinning elbow but Luque lands a stiff punch in the process. Luque follows with additional punches and Turner goes down. Luque opens up with brutal punches on the ground and knocks Turner clean out.

Winner: Vicente Luque, KO, round 1.

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Oct. 6, 2018, 5:31 p.m.

Aspen Ladd has a perfect MMA record of 6-0 with 5 finishes. She has a tough challenge in former Invicta champion Tonya Evinger, who has only lost one bout since 2011 (and that loss was to Cris “Cyborg” Justino).

Round 1. They come out throwing, with Evinger attacking the body well. Evinger looks much bigger than Ladd and she muscles Ladd up against the cage. Ladd turns Evinger around and gets Evinger down. Ladd lands some punches from the top and is generating plenty of power to the side of the head. Ladd takes the back and transitions into back mount. Ladd opens up with punches there in rapid succession and the fight is stopped.

Winner: Aspen Ladd, TKO, round 1.

Oct. 6, 2018, 5:03 p.m.

Alan Patrick is 15-1 in MMA with most of his wins coming via decision. At 35 years old, he likely needs some impressive wins in the next year or two if he hopes to make it into the title picture. Scott Holtzman is 4-2 in the UFC and like Patrick has won mostly via decision.

Round 1. Holtzman lands a hard hook early. Patrick appears dazed but Holtzman makes no effort whatsoever to capitalize. Patrick lunges in with a nice straight left hand. Patrick’s movement is so unusual. Holtzman connects with a right head kick. Patrick seems fine but he does shoot in for a takedown moments later. Holtzman defends well. Holtzman is bleeding near the eye from a head butt. Holtzman lands a straight right hand and then clinches. Holtzman catches Patrick moving in with a leg kick, knocking Patrick down. Holtzman postures up, prioritizing power in his ground and pound as the round concludes. 10-9 Holtzman.

Round 2. Patrick gets a takedown but only for a moment as Holtzman gets right back up. Holtzman attacks the leg with some low kicks, looking to limit Patrick’s movement. Holtzman has Patrick’s unique footwork pretty well figured out. Holtzman gets a takedown and lands some punches by the cage. He generates a lot of power on the ground. Patrick gets back up and lands a couple of nice punches there. Patrick goes for a takedown late but doesn’t get it. 10-9 Holtzman.

Oct. 6, 2018, 4:23 p.m.

Lina Lansberg is a Swedish competitor with a kickboxing background while Yana Kunitskaya is a Russian fighter with a similar affinity for striking. Lansberg is 2-2 in the UFC while Kunitskaya is 0-1.

Round 1. Lansberg catches a kick and clinches. Kunitskaya uses a judo throw to take Lansberg down. Kunitskaya first is in half guard and then full guard, while throwing some punches. Lansberg is able to work back to her feet and they continue to work in the clinch by the cage. Kunitskaya uses another throw to take Lansberg back to the mat. She lands some punches and elbows as the round comes to an end. 10-9 Kunitskaya.

Round 2. Kunitskaya goes back to the clinch and throws some knees there. Kunitskaya can’t set up a takedown and they separate. Lansberg just can’t get going standing, perhaps because of the threat of the takedown. Kunitskaya goes back to the clinch. Lansberg attacks the neck but isn’t in a position to properly secure a choke. 10-9 Kunitskaya.

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Oct. 6, 2018, 4:02 p.m.

Gray Maynard debuted in the UFC in 2007. Now 39, the former college wrestling standout is likely nearing the end of his MMA career. Maynard is best known for his classic title fights with Frankie Edgar but struggled afterwards. He has rebounded to win 2 of his last 3. Nik Lentz’s fights are rarely pretty but he is an effective grinder with 12 UFC wins to his credit. He has tended to fall short when matched against elite opposition.

Round 1. Lentz lands a nice leg kick early and then a couple of hard punches. He stuns Maynard with another punch and then clinches. Lentz lands additional punches from close range by the cage. They separate and Lentz lands another hard hook. He follows that with knees and some punches by the cage. Lentz then takes Maynard down and grabs a guillotine choke. Lentz can’t finish the choke but he does roll over in the process so he has top position. Lentz immediately lands elbows and punches from there. Lentz postures up and goes to town with vicious punches. Maynard is taking tremendous punishment. Maynard stands up but eats a knee in the process. 10-7 Lentz.

Round 2. Maynard lands a few punches early. Maynard appears to have Lentz in a little trouble but Maynard moves in and gets countered with a series of hard counters. Lentz lands a head kick and Maynard goes down. The referee finally stops it.

Oct. 6, 2018, 3:32 p.m.

UFC 229 kicks off with a welterweight bout pitting Ryan LaFlare against Tony Martin. LaFlare is an impressive 14-2 in MMA competition including seven UFC victories but is still looking for his first UFC. Tony Martin is a submission grappler with four wins in his last five bouts.

Round 1. Martin presses forward to start the fight, throwing lead jabs. LaFlare looks to counter with a number of kicks. They clinch two minutes in and Martin pushes LaFlare against the cage. Martin can’t get in position for a takedown and he backs away. Martin is occasionally landing a solid straight punch, but LaFlare’s kicks, particularly to the leg and body, tend to be the best blows. Martin knocks LaFlare down with a punch, but LaFlare is quickly back up. LaFlare looks for a takedown late but cannot get it. Close round. 10-9 LaFlare.

Round 2. Martin drops LaFlare with a big punch, and LaFlare is in trouble. Martin looks to finish with punches on the ground. LaFlare appears out momentarily but then recovers his senses. LaFlare is bleeding. Martin nicely takes LaFlare’s back, but LaFlare is able to turn out. LaFlare is briefly on the bottom and as he tries to get up, Martin grabs a D’Arce choke attempt. LaFlare is able to slide out of that and return to his feet. Martin catches LaFlare again with a punch coming in. 10-8 Martin.